43-529: The H-II Transfer Vehicle ( HTV ), also called Kounotori ( こうのとり , Kōnotori , " oriental stork " or " white stork ") , is an expendable Japanese automated cargo spacecraft designed for International Space Station (ISS) resupply missions, particularly the Kibō Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). Development of the spacecraft began in the early 1990s and the HTV's first mission, HTV-1 ,
86-471: A high gain antenna . The oxygen was also used for breathing, and the fuel cells produced water for drinking and environmental control. On Apollo 15, 16 and 17 it also carried a scientific instrument package, with a mapping camera and a small sub-satellite to study the Moon. A major portion of the service module was taken up by propellant and the main rocket engine. Capable of multiple restarts, this engine placed
129-643: A habitation module with the ESA. In May 2015, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced a proposal to replace the HTV with an improved, cost-reduced version preliminary called HTV-X. In December 2015, the plan to develop HTV-X was approved by the Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy of the Cabinet Office , targeting launch in fiscal year 2021 for the flight of HTV-X1 (Technical Demonstration Vehicle) by
172-576: A hatchling was reported in Japan for the first time in 40 years in the wild. It was an offspring of two storks who were bred in captivity. Due to habitat loss and overhunting, the Oriental stork is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . It is listed on Appendix I of CITES . There have been efforts to reintroduce the storks to the wild, but there must be changes to
215-506: A parachute recovery system. It was the only part of the Apollo/Saturn space vehicle that returned to Earth intact. The service module was unpressurized and contained a main service propulsion engine and hypergolic propellant to enter and leave lunar orbit, a reaction control system to provide attitude control and translational capability, fuel cells with hydrogen and oxygen reactants, radiators to dump waste heat into space, and
258-480: A reentry module capable of returning 1,600 kilograms (3,500 lb) cargo from ISS to Earth. Further, conceptual plans in 2012 included a follow-on spacecraft design by 2022 which would accommodate a crew of three and carry up to 400 kilograms (880 lb) of cargo. As of 2014, both JAXA and Mitsubishi conducted studies of a next generation HTV as a possible Japanese contribution to the proposed international crewed outpost at Earth-Moon L2 . This variant of HTV
301-600: A wingspan of 2.22 m (7.3 ft). Unlike its more widespread cousin, the Oriental stork has red skin around its eye, with a whitish iris and black bill . Both sexes are similar. The female is slightly smaller than the male. The young are white with orange bills. The Oriental stork is found in Japan , China , Korea and Siberia . It was once extirpated from Japan and the Korean Peninsula . However, in May 2007
344-752: Is 10,500 kilograms (23,100 lb), with a maximum total payload of 6,000 kilograms (13,000 lb), for a maximum launch weight of 16,500 kilograms (36,400 lb). The HTV is comparable in function to the Russian Progress , the ESA ATV , the SpaceX Cargo Dragons , and the Cygnus spacecraft , all of which bring supplies to the ISS. Like the ATV, the HTV carries more than twice the payload of
387-419: Is accessed by the robotic arm after it has been berthed to the ISS. New payloads can be moved directly from the HTV to Kibō ' s exposed facility. Internally, it has eight International Standard Payload Racks (ISPRs) in total which can be unloaded by the crew in a shirt-sleeve environment . After the retirement of NASA 's Space Shuttle in 2011, HTVs became the only spacecraft capable of transporting ISPRs to
430-617: Is similar to how the modules in Mir , as well as many modules of the Russian Orbital Segment of the ISS are based on the TKS cargo vehicle design. Oriental stork The Oriental stork ( Ciconia boyciana ; traditional Chinese : 東方白鸛; simplified Chinese : 东方白鹳; pinyin : dōngfāng bái guàn; Japanese : コウノトリ Konotori ) is a large, white bird with black-feathered wings in
473-538: The H3 rocket . As of June 2019, new ISS plans from NASA's Flight Planning Integration Panel have set the launch of HTV-X1 for February 2022, which is on schedule. In 2022 the debut of the HTV-X spacecraft has been furtherly delayed to January 2024. The HTV-X has a length of 6.2 m, or 10 m with the unpressurised cargo module fitted. The payload fairing adaptor and payload dispenser have been widened from 1.7 m to 4.4 m to allow
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#1732772442065516-549: The Thiokol Chemical Company . Abort modes after this point would be accomplished without the LES. The LES was carried but never used on four uncrewed Apollo flights, and fifteen crewed Apollo, Skylab , and Apollo-Soyuz Test Project flights. The disposition of all command modules, and all unflown service modules is listed at Apollo command and service module#CSMs produced . All flown service modules burned up in
559-472: The stork family Ciconiidae . The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1873. It is closely related to and resembles the European white stork ( C. ciconia ), of which it was formerly often treated as a subspecies . It is typically larger than the white stork, at 100–129 cm (39.5–51 in) long, 110–150 cm (43–59 in) tall, a weight of 2.8–5.9 kg (6.2–13.0 lb) and
602-578: The Apollo Command and Service Modules. The spacecraft–LM adapter (SLA), built by North American Aviation (Rockwell), was a conical aluminum structure that connected the service module to the Saturn S-IVB rocket stage. It also protected the LM, the service propulsion system engine nozzle, and the launch-vehicle-to-service-module umbilical during launch and ascent through the atmosphere. The SLA
645-738: The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Packages ALSEP , the modularized equipment transporter (MET) (a hand-pulled equipment cart used on Apollo 14 ), the Lunar Rover ( Apollo 15 , 16 and 17 ), a surface television camera, surface tools, and lunar sample collection boxes. The ascent stage contained the crew cabin, instrument panels, overhead hatch/docking port, forward hatch, optical and electronic guidance systems , reaction control system, radar and communications antennas, ascent rocket engine and propellant to return to lunar orbit and rendezvous with
688-579: The Apollo program, four CSMs were launched on Saturn IBs for three Skylab Earth orbital missions and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project . The major part of the Apollo spacecraft was a three-man vehicle designed for Earth orbital, translunar, and lunar orbital flight, and return to Earth. This consisted of a command module supported by a service module , built by North American Aviation (later North American Rockwell ). The command module
731-494: The Apollo spacecraft into and out of lunar orbit, and was used for mid-course corrections between the Earth and the Moon. The service module remained attached to the command module throughout the mission. It was jettisoned just prior to reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. The Apollo Lunar Module was a separate vehicle designed to land on the Moon and return to lunar orbit, and was the first true "spaceship" since it flew solely in
774-488: The CM would land with its parachute recovery system. If the emergency happened on the launch pad, the LES would lift the CM to a sufficient height to allow the recovery parachutes to deploy safely before coming in contact with the ground. In the absence of an emergency, the LES was routinely jettisoned about 20 or 30 seconds after the launch vehicle's second-stage ignition, using a separate solid-fuel rocket motor manufactured by
817-630: The CSM away, rotated it through 180 degrees, and came back for docking. The LM was connected to the SLA at four points around the lower panels. After the astronauts docked the CSM to the LM, they blew charges to separate those connections and a guillotine severed the LM-to- instrument-unit umbilical. After the charges fired, springs pushed the LM away from the S-IVB, and the astronauts were free to continue their trip to
860-436: The ISS. The SpaceX Dragon and Northrop Grumman Cygnus can carry resupply cargo bags but not ISPRs. The intent behind the HTV's modularized design was to use different module configurations to match different mission requirements. However, to reduce the development cost it was decided to fly the mixed PLC/ULC configuration only. To control the HTV's attitude and perform the orbital maneuvers such as rendezvous and reentry,
903-402: The Moon and went into lunar orbit. While the LM separated and landed, the CSM remained in orbit. After the lunar excursion, the two craft rendezvoused and docked in lunar orbit, and the CSM returned the crew to Earth. The command module was the only part of the space vehicle that returned with the crew to the Earth's surface. The LES was jettisoned during launch upon reaching the point where it
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#1732772442065946-500: The Moon. The Apollo launch escape system (LES) was built by the Lockheed Propulsion Company . Its purpose was to abort the mission by pulling the CM (the crew cabin) away from the launch vehicle in an emergency, such as a pad fire before launch, guidance failure, or launch vehicle failure likely to lead to an imminent explosion. The LES included three wires that ran down the exterior of the launch vehicle. If
989-547: The Progress, but is launched less than half as often. Unlike Progress spacecraft, Cargo Dragon 2's and ATV's which use the docking ports automatically, HTVs and American Dragon 1 approach the ISS in stages, and once they reach their closest parking orbit to the ISS, crew grapple them using the robotic arm Canadarm2 and berth them to an open berthing port on the Harmony module. The HTV has an external payload bay which
1032-412: The SLA panels during docking and extraction of the LM in a lunar mission. Wally Schirra compared it to the "angry alligator" from Gemini 9 . This led to a redesign using a spring-loaded hinge release system which released the panels at the 45-degree angle and pushed them away from the S-IVB at a velocity of about 5 mph (8 km/h), putting them a safe distance away by the time the astronauts pulled
1075-458: The astronauts pressed the 'CSM/LV Sep' button on the control panel to separate the CSM from the launch vehicle. Detonating cord was ignited around the flange between the SM and SLA, and along the joints between the four SLA panels, releasing the SM and blowing apart the connections between the panels. Dual-redundant pyrotechnic thrusters at the lower end of the SLA panels then fired to rotate them around
1118-621: The craft has four 500-N-class main thrusters and twenty-eight 110-N-class attitude control thrusters. Both use bipropellant, namely monomethylhydrazine (MMH) as fuel and mixed oxides of nitrogen (MON3) as oxidizer. HTV-1, HTV-2, and HTV-4 use Aerojet 's 110 N R-1E, Space Shuttle 's vernier engine , and the 500 N based on the Apollo spacecraft 's R-4D . Later HTVs use 500 N class HBT-5 thrusters and 120 N class HBT-1 thrusters made by Japanese manufacturer IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd . The HTV carries about 2400 kg of propellant in four tanks. After
1161-654: The environment first. The storks were harshly impacted by the growth of the rice industry and the subsequent use of pesticides . There is a push for rice farmers to grow their plants organically so that the storks may breed and grow safely in their environments. The Oriental stork is a solitary bird except during the breeding season. It likes to wade in marshes, pond's edges, coastal beaches, and other wetlands. These birds are apex predator in their habitat. Its diet consists mainly of fish , frog , insects , small birds and reptiles , as well as rodents . The female usually lays between two and six eggs. After breeding,
1204-459: The hinges at 30–60 degrees per second. On all flights through Apollo 7 , the SLA panels remained hinged to the S-IVB and opened to a 45-degree angle, as originally designed. But as the Apollo 7 crew practiced rendezvous with the S-IVB/SLA containing a dummy docking target, one panel did not open to the full 45 degrees, raising concern about the possibility of collision between the spacecraft and
1247-551: The only vehicle capable of transporting large International Standard Payload Racks (ISPR) and disposing of old ones within the ISS's US Orbital Segment . The final HTV mission, Kounotori 9 , was launched on 20 May 2020. JAXA is currently developing its successor, the HTV-X , which is expected to make its maiden flight in early 2025. The HTV is about 9.8 metres (32 ft) long (including maneuvering thrusters at one end) and 4.4 metres (14 ft) in diameter. Total mass when empty
1290-545: The pressurized cargo module to be swapped out for alternate modules, to add increased structural strength, and to accommodate the side hatch. As of 2021, an evolutionary version of HTV-X called HTV-XG is being considered for transferring cargo to the Lunar Gateway as part of the Artemis program . As of 2010, JAXA was planning to add a return capsule option. In this concept, HTV's pressurized cargo would be replaced by
1333-512: The signals from any two of the wires were lost, the LES would activate automatically. Alternatively, the Commander could activate the system manually using one of two translation controller handles, which were switched to a special abort mode for launch. When activated, the LES would fire a solid fuel escape rocket and open a canard system to direct the CM away from, and off the path of, a launch vehicle in trouble. The LES would then jettison and
H-II Transfer Vehicle - Misplaced Pages Continue
1376-499: The spacecraft stack for space vehicle assembly: a spacecraft–LM adapter (SLA) designed to shield the LM from the aerodynamic stress of launch and to connect the CSM to the Saturn launch vehicle and a launch escape system (LES) to carry the crew in the command module safely away from the launch vehicle in the event of a launch emergency. The design was based on the lunar orbit rendezvous approach: two docked spacecraft were sent to
1419-707: The storks migrate to eastern China in September and return in March. Apollo spacecraft The Apollo spacecraft was composed of three parts designed to accomplish the American Apollo program 's goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by the end of the 1960s and returning them safely to Earth . The expendable (single-use) spacecraft consisted of a combined command and service module (CSM) and an Apollo Lunar Module (LM). Two additional components complemented
1462-521: The time the fourth HTV mission was underway. The improved version of the craft HTV-X is planned to be first used for the tenth flight and will perform scheduled ISS resupply duties for 2021-2024 (with a first launch scheduled for February 2022). In addition, JAXA has agreed to provide HTV-X logistic resupply flights to the Gateway mini-space station (launched by either Falcon Heavy or Ariane 6) as part of its Gateway contribution in addition to co-developing
1505-486: The unloading process is completed, the HTV is loaded with waste and unberthed. The vehicle then deorbits and is destroyed during reentry, the debris falling into the Pacific Ocean . Initially seven missions were planned in 2008–2015. With the extension of the ISS project through 2028, three more missions were added, with the tenth flight seeing an improved, cost-reduced version called the HTV-X . The first vehicle
1548-555: The vacuum of space. It consisted of a descent stage and an ascent stage . It supplied life support systems for two astronauts for up to four to five days on the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions. The spacecraft was designed and manufactured by the Grumman Aircraft Company . The descent stage contained the landing gear, landing radar antenna, descent propulsion system , and fuel to land on the Moon. It also had several cargo compartments used to carry, among other things:
1591-463: Was bolted to a flange at the top of the longer panels, and power to the SLA multiply-redundant pyrotechnics was provided by an umbilical. Because a failure to separate from the S-IVB stage could leave the crew stranded in orbit, the separation system used multiple signal paths, multiple detonators and multiple explosive charges where the detonation of one charge would set off another even if the detonator on that charge failed to function. Once in space,
1634-583: Was composed of four fixed 7-foot-tall (2.1 m) panels bolted to the Instrument Unit on top of the S-IVB stage, which were connected via hinges to four 21-foot-tall (6.4 m) panels which opened from the top similar to flower petals. The SLA was made from 1.7-inch-thick (43 mm) aluminum honeycomb material. The exterior of the SLA was covered by a thin (0.03–0.2 in or 0.76–5.08 mm) layer of cork and painted white to minimize thermal stresses during launch and ascent. The service module
1677-484: Was launched on 10 September 2009 on an H-IIB launch vehicle. The name Kounotori was chosen because "a white stork carries an image of conveying an important thing (a baby, happiness, and other joyful things), therefore, it precisely expresses the HTV's mission to transport essential materials to the ISS". The HTV is crucial for ISS resupply, especially after the retirement of the Space Shuttle , as it's
1720-650: Was launched on an H-IIB rocket, a more powerful version of the earlier H-IIA , at 17:01 UTC on 10 September 2009, from Launch Pad 2 of the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Center . As of December 2020, a total of nine missions successfully launched — one each year for 2015–2019 (though there was no launch in 2017, pushing back the latest to 2020) — one fewer total mission than had been planned in August 2013 at
1763-468: Was no longer needed, and the SLA remained attached to the launch vehicle's upper stage. Two uncrewed CSMs, one uncrewed LM, and one crewed CSM were carried into space by Saturn IB launch vehicles for low Earth orbit Apollo missions. Larger Saturn Vs launched two uncrewed CSMs on high Earth orbit test flights, the CSM on one crewed lunar mission, the complete spacecraft on one crewed low Earth orbit mission, and eight crewed lunar missions. After conclusion of
H-II Transfer Vehicle - Misplaced Pages Continue
1806-422: Was the control center for the Apollo spacecraft and living quarters for the three crewmen. It contained the pressurized main crew cabin, crew couches, control and instrument panel, Primary Guidance, Navigation and Control System , communications systems, environmental control system, batteries, heat shield , reaction control system to provide attitude control , forward docking hatch, side hatch, five windows, and
1849-548: Was to be launched by H-X Heavy and can carry 1800 kg of supplies to EML2. Modifications from the current HTV includes the addition of solar electric paddles and extension of the propellant tank. A proposal announced in June 2008, "Preliminary Study for Manned Spacecraft with Escape System and H-IIB Rocket" suggested combining HTV's propulsion module with a human-rated capsule for four people. A Japanese space station has been proposed to be built up from HTV modules. This method
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